Doctor Who (13th Doctor)

[Richard]

I haven't even bothered watching it this year because I got so bored of the last series. I had wondered if I should have given it another chance, but everything I've read about this Timeless Child episode, here and elsewhere, has led me to be glad I didn't waste my time.

If I feel like watching the show again, I'll dig out my DVDs.

[Dandontdare]

This season did go a bit Chibnally in places but was a HUGE improvement on the last one.

[Adrian Bamforth]

A little off-topic from the current TV series but Big Finish has been running an annual Doctor Who writing competition for the last few years with the winner's entry being released as one of their Short Trips stories. I actually had a story idea in mind I've never seen done and submitted the synopsis, then for kicks wrote the whole 5,000 words and posted it on fanfiction.net, where it's had a decent number of reads though no reviews of comments as yet. I'm keen for any feedback before I submit this years' offering so if any Who fan thinks they might enjoy a 20-minute read with feedback of an 8th Doctor and Ace story, it can be found via this link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13380830/1/The-Undying-Fire

[wedgeski]

Well, I just got to this after putting it on ice for a few months, and watched the back half of the latest series in pretty much one go. The usual ups and downs, but I must say the final two-parter had us hooked. Doctor Who remains pretty unique amongst TV sci-fi which is some feat considering how the genre has exploded over the last 10 years.

That was some lore sledgehammer that Chibnall dropped, eh? Wife and I both assumed the more obvious conclusion, [spoiler]which was that the Master was the Timeless Child and the Doctor was the original Time Lord, which would certainly explain the Master's ingrained psychosis and hatred of all things Doctor, so we won't be surprised when the next series pulls the switcheroo and the two of them discover their real identities are the opposite of what the Matrix showed them (said archive obviously having a will of its own). Overall this take on the origins of the Time Lords (which I assume retcons many other stories, TV or otherwise, being no Doctor Who expert) fits quite well within the picture of them that has been painted since the series was regenerated, which I guess could be a good or bad thing depending on your views of its quality since 2005.[/spoiler]

Random thoughts. I don't have any complaints about JW's performance, said derpiness being part of the fun, though I wish the script would stop having her run exposition *to herself* while we look on from the sidelines. I've come to like all the companions, although they might have reached the end of their usefulness in giving the Doctor a "fam"; maybe time for some changes there. This latest take on the Master hovers on just the right side of pantomime for me -- in fact I think that guy is putting in quite a skilled performance -- but the direction as a whole falls on the wrong side of that line once too often, *especially* with the bloody cybermen. When those [spoiler]Time Lord Cybermen walked in lockstep into the Council chamber with their stupid hybrid costumes[/spoiler], it felt to me like there was about to be a musical number.

On the whole, some nice new mysteries to unravel and a Doctor that is still a pleasure to watch.

[Colin YNWA]

Anyone seen the Christmas New Year Special yet... I mean it had The Doc in prison. A jail break. Daleks controlled by the govenment. Dalek vs [spoiler]Dalek[/spoiler] action. Captain Jack. Two companions [spoiler]leave[/spoiler]. A Tardis [spoiler]implodes[/spoiler] and yet... it was still quite dull.

How did that happen?

[IndigoPrime]

Yeah, it was all a bit flabby and nothingy. Also: impenetrable unless you're already a fan. Some weird casting for the next series also.

[Leigh S]

It's the same problem that 2005 started with ramped up exponentially - anti-plastic has become a short cutting mantra that leads inexorably to a 20th C scientist cloning a Dalek in his spare time/back bedroom.  To a heist that depends on the driver stopping at just the right burger van.... To teleporting Daleks because plot? Who needs a plot? That's where you bury a show, man!  It is so defiantly stupid that when it then tries to fill air with "meaningful chats about feelings" you either embrace the stupid because that guy had a mom and kids you know and we should still feel sad for him.  Or you hate every sodding second of it's wilful disregard for actually engaging you in what it actually happening rather than what we are all supposed to feel - because the Doctor is FANTASTIC and Jack is IMMORTAL and this is WHAT WE DO! 

My only conclusion can be that they've realised if your story is entirely incoherent  - a series of non sequitur events that is so skeletal that it can't even stand up to a moments scrutiny, then it has reached a point beyond criticism  - if you can't even identify it as a plot, then can you even criticise it as such?
10 out of 10 , best Dr Who ever

[shaolin_monkey]

Dear oh dear. Even with more time than usual this still felt awfully rushed. The Daleks felt like NO THREAT WHATSOEVER. Considering their ultimate evil, their intelligence, technology etc, you'd think they'd win every now and then? Or at least last longer than an hour.

A three-parter showing the Earth under Dalek rule would have been bloody brilliant - a plucky resistance, humans being mind-controlled and used as slaves, and maybe even a race against time in terms of the Daleks boring into the Earth's core or something.

There's so much talent on display in this show, from a creative point of view, but the scripts need to stretch over a couple of episodes and be allowed to breath a bit.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

A three-parter showing the Earth under Dalek rule would have been bloody brilliant - a plucky resistance, humans being mind-controlled and used as slaves, and maybe even a race against time in terms of the Daleks boring into the Earth's core or something.

Nah, that'd never work.

[IndigoPrime]

The issue for me now is Doctor Who just doesn't feel vital. Hard to know where the blame lies: budget; BBC higher-ups not giving a shit; the wrong showrunner. But whereas with The Expanse I am desperate to see the next episode, I couldn't really give a shit when Doctor Who returns. I hope it will, but it's like TV furniture now. I wish it was better. This Doctor's run has had some great highs and ideas. But it needs a shake-up somewhere—format; run length; scripts—to shine again. (At least they kept the current take on the theme tune, which I still adore.)

[shaolin_monkey]

Agree re the theme tune, and the title sequence as a whole - it totally harks back to the first four Who themes, while somehow still being it's own thing! Love it,

[von Boom]

That was what, 75-minutes? Felt like 75 hours. Tedious and dull. Barrowman was the highlight for us with Noth coming in a close second. My wife is outraged at the departure of Ryan and Graham, Graham mainly, and says she's done watching.

[DrJomster]

I wanted to love it more than I ended up doing, which is fairly normal I've found with the Christmas / New Year specials. I think I'll give it a re-watch and see if I'm happier second time around. Agree about Barrowman and Noth, although the PM was rather good too. The episode just didn't sing right off the bat though (to mix my metaphors). Fugitive of the Judoon on the other hand was all kinds of awesome straight off.

Having said all that, I'm obviously happy we had the special, the returning characters and a decent send off segment. So don't get me wrong, it's a bit like 2000AD for me, Doctor Who, sometimes awesome, sometimes average but thank goodness it's there and still going!

[IndigoPrime]

Bit sad they've bottled it on stripping things back to the Doctor and a companion, because clearly the notion of two women in the show is too much for all the men to deal with. Solution: cast a 54-year-old shouty comedian who's also eleven feet tall to tag along. FFS.

[DrJomster]

That's a really good point. Just the Doctor and Yaz would have been great. They've never had two women before, plus there's all that Yaz backstory to investigate as well giving them both a lot more character time. I'm sure John Bishop will be good, I just hope he comes in the second half of the season to give the Doc and Yaz some space as a team.